Blood and Sweets
by Reika-Hell-Flower
Summary: Celine wishes she would live in a world where no one ever dies forever... where one could die and be back the next day, so that no one would feel the pain of losing a loved one for good... But soon she discovers that you should really be careful what you wish for...
1. The Beginning

**[NOTE: The canon characters of HTF are human and have human names in this FanFiction, while their canon names (Lumpy, Flippy, etc.) have another meaning :)]**

* * *

"Ugh… damn this stupid… ugh…"

"Chris, if I hear you complaining about the tie again, you'll be walking behind the car all the way to the funeral."

Chris glared at his father from the back seat, adjusting himself on it and crossing his arms. His mother gave him a sympathetic look.

"Maybe it would be better if he took it off, honey. He's not used to it…" she said.

"Neither am I," her husband grunted. "He'll wear the tie 'till the funeral is over and that's final."

Chris stuck his tongue at his father, though the latter could not see it from the front seat. His mother widened her eyes as a warning for Chris not to argue with his father before her gaze darted back to her husband. The funeral they were heading towards was her mother-in-law's, and since she had passed, her husband had been in a noticeable irritable mood. Since her husband gave no sign of abandoning that attitude anytime soon (not until he finally sunk in the idea of his mother being dead anyway) she instead turned to her daughter, who was quietly looking out the window.

"Is everything okay, Celine dear? You've been very quiet…"

"I'm okay mom," Celine replied, not taking her eyes off the window. "Just thinking…"

Her mother looked at Chris again, who was once again having a silent battle with his tie, and immediately ordered him in a whisper to stop it.

"Why can't you behave like your older sister?" she sighed before turning front in her seat.

Chris mouthed what she said, annoyed, and crossed his arms again. He was never a well-behaved child like his older sister, the "perfect little princess" Celine. Even though they both shared some physical similarities (such as blonde curly short hair, blue eyes and rosy skin) their personalities couldn't be more different.

Christopher Evans was a wild mischievous boy who was always out in parties and had pretty awful grades in school (except in Physical Education, which he was the best in class at). Celine Evans, on the other hand, was a gentle and soft-spoken girl who had amazing grades. Both had the same education by their parents, but chose very different paths to follow. Celine was about to enroll in one of the most prestigious universities while Chris was awfully close to being kicked out from high school. The two siblings didn't get along _wonderfully_, to say the least, and it only got worse when Celine received the news of her being accepted in the university she wanted. That university was pretty distant from home and their parents didn't want her to be too far away so they decided to move to a small town closer to that university. Apparently it was a quiet small town none of them had heard about before. Chris was angry about leaving his friends behind and blamed it all on Celine.

Chris looked at his sister angrily and then back at his window. Celine sighed silently as she rested her head on her hand. She had been deep in thought for a while, pretty much since their trip had started. They were supposed to head towards the town they would be living in as soon as the funeral was over. According to her mother, it would be a good chance for their father to rest his mind and for everyone to have a fresh start. It didn't really matter for Celine. As long as she got to leave the city they lived in before, it was fine by her. She wasn't leaving anyone behind…

**== CELINE'S POV==**

Tree… tree… tree… a house far away in the distance… tree… tree…

I sighed silently. The scenery wasn't going to change at this rate… nothing but trees and trees and trees… one or two houses but that's it. One would ask why am I bothering to look into such a boring view but trust me, it's a lot better than what's going on inside the car.

Mom is trying to keep us all in peace so we won't upset dad, and Chris, the unruly savage he is, keeps trying to take his tie off as if it's a garnet. Get over it! He's so annoying, always acting wild and rebel-like, while as soon as one of his stunts backfires on him he runs home to mommy or threatens to sick our dad on whoever is bothering him… He's as much as a tough guy as I am, but he likes pretending that he is.

I know why he does it though. Something like, "social status", because, somehow, behaving like a barbarian on drugs automatically makes you the toughest guy in the neighborhood and everyone starts loving you for it. I never paid attentions to social status in school, which is probably why I'm labeled as "lame" and am always alone at school. I could think to myself that I don't care about what people think of me, but truth is it hurts me… It hurts to know that just because I don't act like what others think is cool, I become an outcast. Just because I cared more about getting good grades and having actual _life goals _over getting "wasted" or hitting on boys I was ignored by the girls… and boys. No one ever asked me out… My _adorable_ brother keeps reminding me of it, rubbing in my face how he already had 5 girlfriends total even though he's 4 years younger than me and how I never had one single boyfriend. How those girls managed to put up with him I do not know. It's not like I'm ugly or anything… And I am nice and smart… but it isn't enough it seems…

No wonder I'm glad to leave that city. No wonder I don't feel bad about having to move. I can have a fresh start. Maybe in this new town I'll make _actual friends_! Maybe I can even find… well, maybe not that. I'm starting to think that I'm just not made for love. Eighteen years and not a single kiss? Not even a guy showing _minimal _interest in me? Something is wrong with this picture… maybe I should have become a nun…

I adjust myself in the seat so I'm facing forward and drink some of my water quickly. I could feel a small tear forming in the corner of my eye and I don't want to start crying now. It's fine when I think about it at night and I cry myself to sleep… no one is looking… But dad has more important things to worry about right now than his daughter crying over not having friends or a boyfriend… I'm such a pathetic girl, aren't I…? But it's fine. It's fine… I have to smile and support my parents now, because my brother certainly won't.

I wave my hand in front of my neck to try and cool myself down, trying to forget what I was just thinking about. It's so hot in this car, even though the windows are open… Especially since we're all wearing black. Gosh I hate black… Such a dark gloomy color…

I glance at my father, who's driving. He hasn't been sleeping very well lately… Chris and I weren't that close to our grandmother since she lived away from us and couldn't visit that often, but it must terrible for dad… To lose a mother like that… Whenever someone close to you dies, it must hurt a lot. I wonder how I would feel if mom or dad died… I tremble at the thought. Horrible, horrible… What would I do? I wouldn't be able to take care of Chris on my own… but we had no one else… Would he be sent to a foster house? Death is so painful. The death of someone we love I mean. Wouldn't it be great if we lived in a world where _no _one died? Or if they did die, they could be brought back? The world would be so much better… No one would have to cry over their loved ones anymore… Thinking about it, having no friends or a boyfriend is nothing compared to having someone you love die.

I try peeking at dad to see how he's doing. Wait… his eyes are closed! Did he…? My heart starts racing. Dad fell asleep!

"DAD!" I scream, just as I see the car going dangerously on the direction of a truck. Mom screamed as well, while Chris stared in horror at the truck, holding on to his seat, too scared to make a sound.

Dad snaps his eyes open and turns the wheel quickly to the other side, but he loses control… All I can do is scream as we head towards a cliff… The car is flying, and my life is flashing in front of my eyes. Such a boring life… what a waste… I wish we lived in that world I imagined… that world where no one ever dies for real. But it's too late now… the car is about to fall into the water… It's… all over…

* * *

_The world where no one dies forever... I wish..._

_I wish..._

...

... ... GASP!

My eyes snap open. I'm underwater! I'm – I'm drowning!

I quickly swim to the surface of the water and gasp for hair. I swipe my hair off my face and look around, breathing heavily. I'm… I'm ALIVE! I'M ALIVE! The happiness bursts into my heart as I try to recognize my surroundings. That's weird… the lake looks nothing like the one I fell in. Well, I probably must have lost consciousness and drifted in the water… I can't see the car… or my parents… Chris… I can't see any of them. Happiness gives place to panic.

_"Calm down… calm down… breathe… maybe… maybe they were rescued already and they're looking for me!"_ I think to myself, trying to calm down.

I swim in what I think is the direction to the shore. As soon as I find someone, I can call for help. Though, at that moment, a thought hits me. What if, like me, my parents or my brother were dragged by the water and are still underwater? I quickly dive, looking around, but I can't see any of them… not even the car, or any luggage…

Just as I turn around, I find myself unable to move. I got caught on something!

"_What is this…? A net?! I got caught in a fishing net?!"_

I try to fight out of it, but the more I kick, the more I'm trapped. The net is suddenly pulled and I'm dragged along with it, trying to hold my breath and not panic at the same time. I bump into something hard and open my mouth to scream in pain, feeling my arm break. I must have bumped into a rock or the boat of whoever's using the net. Luckily the net is pulled up and I'm out of water, free to moan in pain as I hold my broken harm without the danger of inhaling water.

"Whoa! What's this?"

I whimper as I hear a voice. It's a man's voice, probably the fisherman. The voice sounds older but somewhat dimwitted. The net is harshly dropped on the deck and I end up shrieking and then whimpering again in pain. Couldn't they have dropped the net a little more nicely?!

I hear steps behind me and look back, holding my injured arm helplessly. The man approaching me is rather tall. He seems a bit older than me but something about his face gives a jovial feeling. He's wearing dark blue damaged jeans, a blue shirt and dark denim damaged vest. It could be a normal looking person, if it wasn't for the odd denim cap he's wearing: it has two long _horns,_ being that one is clearly upside down.

Slightly surprised by that man's bizarre hat, I don't even notice I was now staring at him with my mouth wide open and I momentarily forgot my pain. The man looks at me just as baffled, but obviously for other reasons.

"I… are you… you… RUSSELL!" he calls, now looking extremely excited. I recognize his voice as the same dimwitted one I heard before. This snaps me out of my shocked state.

The man that appears next – probably that "Russell" person the man with the horned cap called for – looks even STRANGER! He is shorter than the other man, but still tall and apparently way older than him. He has a short dark bluebeard and a deep scar on his neck. He is wearing a ripped shirt stripped in red and white, a black trench coat, a black _pirate captain hat _covering his bluish hair, which is tied in a loose long ponytail, AND an eye patch covering his right eye (his left eye is dark grey). To complete his pirate-ish appearance, he also has a hook replacing his left hand and not only one, but _two_ wooden legs. Again, my mouth falls wide open with the shock. I have just been captured by the weirdest people EVER.

"Yarr!" the man says. _Oh my god he even has pirate mannerisms…_ "What is this, lad? What did ye call me for?" he asks with a husky voice.

The man with the horned cap points at me happily, almost jumping in excitement. "Look, look, Russell! I found a _mermaid_! An _actual _mermaid! I knew they were real!"

I shake my head in disbelief. Wait, wait – _mermaid?_ How can a grown man believe in mermaids?

"No, no, no…!" I start, waving my hand in denial. "I am not -"

"GAH! It can talk!"

"Yarr, mate, that is no mermaid! See, the lass has no fish tail!" the pirate reasons, pointing at my legs with his hook.

At least there is someone with some sense here – despite the weird outfit. Maybe it's some sort of dare between friends or a festivity?

"I'm not a mermaid!" I declare, to which the pirate looks at the younger man with a "See?" expression, while the other mutters something like "Of course a mermaid would say that". I ignore his comment and decide to ask them for help.

"Please! I – The car I was in fell in the lake… I lost consciousness… I can't find my family! Please, help me! Please!"

I look at them desperately. They HAVE to help me! I'm not very sure if I trust the younger man, but right now I have no choice.

The two men look at each other. They have a weird expression on their face that worries me. The younger one looks worried while the pirate looks sad. Then he looks at me with a smile.

"Don't worry lass; I'll go ask them authorities if they've found anyone nearby. On the meantime, ye should have that arm checked," he says, gesturing to my broken arm, which I was still holding.

"What's wrong with it?" the younger man asks, suddenly pulling at my arm without warning.

I shriek in pain and gasp, trying to push his hand away as I stare with my eyes open wide. That idiot! My arm is broken and he just pulls it like that! I knew he couldn't be trusted!

"OH GEEZ sorry! Sorry, sorry…" he apologizes, letting go of my arm as he looks at me worried. He then also widens his eyes and looks like he's panicking. "Did I break it? OH GOD I BROKE THE MERMAID'S ARM!"

I hold on to my arm trying hard not get frustrated. I am seriously getting tired of the mermaid talk… and of that man's stupidity.

"Yarr, just take the lass to the hospital boy! She must have broken her arm when the net banged against the boat!" the pirate shouts, bumping the other man on the head with the round side of his hook. Ha! Serves him right.

"OW okay, okay! Don't worry, you'll be fine mermaid! I'll save you!"

I sigh frustrated.

"For the last time, I'm not a mermaaaaaaaaaaa -!"

Before I can finish my sentence, the younger man picks me up bridal style and rushes towards the back of the boat. I eye him in shock, as I feel my cheeks getting hot. No man had ever picked me up like that!

"Err… sir… it's my arm that needs medical attention… I can walk just fine!" I stutter, trying to hide my embarrassment. Rather poorly, I must say.

The man isn't paying any attention to it. He looks determined to carry me all the way to the hospital if he has to, which only makes me more embarrassed. "No! I must help the mermaid! It was my fault you're hurt!" he says.

Even though he is _still_ calling me a mermaid, I have to admire his determination. I can feel the boat moving, and I assume that Russell, the pirate, is directing it to shore. As soon as it stops at the shore, the man carrying me jumps out of the boat and starts dashing towards a truck that's parked nearby.

"Yarr, I'll try and find yer family, lass! Don't worry, me mate will take ye to the hospital!" I hear Russell yell from the ship. I want to thank him but I am suddenly dropped at the front seat of the truck.

"Ow…!" I whimper, rubbing my injured arm, which only adds more pain.

I look to the side as the man with the horned cap tries to go through the door to sit on the driver's seat. The horns on the cap bump on the truck, preventing him from going in and he ends up falling back. If I wasn't so worried for my family and my arm didn't hurt so much, I would have laughed. Instead, I glance over only to see him get back up and try to get in again, which results on him falling back again the same he did before.

"Maybe it would help if you removed you cap," I suggest as he gets up looking very upset. He blinks with a stupid expression and then takes the cap off and goes in without any problems. Now that he doesn't have his cap on, I can see he has light blue short hair and dark green eyes.

"Wow, you're really smart!" he praises, smiling as he inserts the key and starts the truck.

I fasten my seatbelt with my healthy arm, just in time for the blue haired idiot to start driving.

"Hold on!" he says.

Next thing I know, I'm holding on to my seat for dear life as he drives so fast that the trees around us are nothing but green blurs.

"EEK!" I shriek.

This man not only _looks_ mad, but he also _drives_ like he's mad! He's going so fast I can't even see where he's going! Now that I think about it… I don't think he can either!

"M-Mister, please slow down! There's no need to drive this fast!" I plead, noticing he didn't put on his own seatbelt.

"No can't do! You need to have that arm checked! Don't worry, we have the best doctor back in town! Your arm will be as good as new in no time!" he replies readily, turning the wheel left and right to dodge other cars.

I hold on the best I can with only one arm, as the pain on my other one increases. I don't want to seem weak by whimpering all the time, but I can't help it… It hurts so much… And I think I'm going sick from all the drastic turns and dodges…

He looks at me. "Don't worry, don't worry! The pain will go away soon! Hey how about we talk? It will help distract you from the pain!"

"NO, no, I don't want to distract _you…_" I mutter, praying that at least I manage to get to the hospital in one piece. Judging from how he's driving, I'll end up in the morgue instead…

He waves one of his hands dismissively. "No problem, no problem! I got this!" he assures, though I have my doubts. He just barely managed to avoid another truck seconds ago. My heart almost jumped out of my mouth…

"How about we introduce ourselves, uh? I don't think I asked your name…"

"Celine. Celine Evans," I mutter, gulping as he makes another drastic turn. At least I think I saw a sign saying "Hospital"… please God let us make it…

"Mermaids sure have fancy names, uh?"

I hold back a grunt and squeak instead as he stops abruptly, causing me to almost fall forward, only held back by the seatbelt. I hold on to it trembling, breathing heavily as I see a tall white building in front of me. We've made it!

"Not… mermaid… not… thank… god… alive…" I stammer, breathing deeply between each word.

"Anyway…" my "savior" says happily, as he gets off the truck and reappears next to the door on my side, opening it and holding a hand for me to take. Well, at least he's a gentleman. "I'm Lewis Carrow, but everyone calls me Lumpy."

"Can't imagine why…" I mutter to myself, honestly not surprised at his nickname.

"Oh, it's actually a funny story! See, when I was little -"

"Mr. Carrow, my _arm_!" I cut him off, taking his hand. I don't think he knows what sarcasm is.

"Oh right! And please don't call me mister! Just call me Lewis or Lumpy," he states, picking me up bridal style again. "Alright, here we go! To the hospital!"

He carries me to the front door and kicks it open, rushing inside. The other people inside stare at us with surprised expressions.

"L-Lumpy! Don't just barge in like that!" says a high pitched female voice from behind us.

Lewis turns around fast to face who talked, making my head bang against his chest. The girl in front of us has short pink hair, with a red ribbon tying it back. She has a petite figure and is really pretty. Judging from her clothes, she must be a nurse here.

"There's no time, Giggles! I found a mermaid and she has a broken arm!" he says, nodding in my direction.

I look at the girl whom he named Giggles, assuming that was some sort of nickname like Lumpy. Maybe people in this town like giving each other odd nicknames… She didn't look surprised that he thought I was a mermaid, so it was probably normal for him to misunderstand things. Instead she walked over to us and gently caressed my arm with a finger.

"It doesn't feel too serious… but Dr. Oxwell would know better. I'll go call him," she says, running towards the hall.

I watch her leave, trying not to pay attention to the odd looks people are giving me. Lewis looks like he's willing to carry me around all day apparently, and he certainly doesn't look tired. He hasn't adjusted me even once, so he must be pretty strong. I only hope that Dr. Oxwell knows what he's doing.

After a few minutes, a boy who looks around his 20's approaches us, with Giggles close behind him pushing a steel wheeled stretcher. He has dark blue short hair, round glasses and light blue eyes. He's wearing a doctor uniform, but he looks too young to be already a doctor… Could he be Dr. Oxwell?

"Lewis, what did you do?" he asks harshly, with a young serious voice, as Giggles positions the steel wheeled stretcher in front of Lewis for me to lie on.

Lewis starts stuttering as he lays me on the stretcher. "I didn't mean to Sniffles! She got caught on the fishing net and then – and then -"

The young doctor cuts him off by waving his hand in front of him. "Save it, we all know accidents tend to happen whenever you're involved. How are you feeling?" he turns to me, feeling my arm. Lewis pouts as the doctor ignores his excuses.

I whimper a bit, to which Giggles stokes my hair gently. "My arm hurts, but… other than that I'm fine… Have you got anyone else here?" I ask quickly. "A blonde boy? Or – or – a couple?"

"We haven't received any strangers today, hon," Giggles replies. My hearts sinks a little, but I must have faith. The pirate, Russell, said he'd look around the lake and ask authorities if they found anyone… they'll find them… they'll find them…

"Take her to the surgery room, I'll be there in a minute," Dr. Oxwell orders, turning to Lewis.

Was he going to scold him or something? Well, it wasn't _exactly_ his fault… Even though he was an idiot he tried to help… I can't really say anything though because Giggles is carrying me to the surgery room. I lay my head back and take a deep breath, closing my eyes.

"It will be okay, hon. Don't worry. Everything will be okay," the pink haired nurse says in a gentle whispering tone.

Her voice is so soft and peaceful. After everything that happened, I finally find someone calm and kind. She's right, I should calm down… I should sleep… when I wake up, I'm sure that they'll tell me they've found my parents and my brother… and that they're all fine… I'm sure… everything will be okay…


	2. Welcome to Happy Tree Town

**[NOTE: The canon characters of HTF are human and have human names in this FanFiction, while their canon names (Lumpy, Flippy, etc.) have another meaning :)]**

* * *

Celine woke up from her lumber slowly, twitching her eyes open. She was hoping that the previous events she remembered were just some messed up dream, but she came to the sad conclusion that it was not the case – she was lying on a hospital bed and her right arm was in a cast.

She sighed sadly. So it was true… Her family really did have an accident and were currently missing… Where were they? Were they safe? Have they been found by weird people just like she had?

She tried to sit on the bed but found it difficult. Her head was starting to hurt, and she felt sleepy. Just then someone opened the door. Dr. Oxwell came in and looked at her, pleased to see her awake.

"I see you're awake now. How are you feeling?" the young doctor asked, standing in front of her bed.

"Sleepy…" she replied, rubbing her eyes with her healthy arm.

Dr. Oxwell chuckled. "That's normal. What's important is that your arm wasn't in such a bad shape as it could have been. It should be as good as new in a couple of weeks. Or sooner…" he said, looking apprehensively at the window.

Celine raised an eyebrow at him. He seemed to notice that his expression caught her attention and smiled again comfortingly.

"Anyway, Lumpy will be happy to see you're okay. He's been walking around in circles in the waiting room for the last couple of hours, as if he's waiting for his first born child. If he keeps going like this he'll make a hole on the floor," he laughed, finally managing to make Celine feel relaxed.

She giggled lightly, imagining Lewis still walking in circles in a hole on the ground, with only his ridiculous cap visible. "Yeah, I can see it happening… He called you Sniffles before, didn't he? And he called the nurse Giggles, I think. Is it a habit for people in town to give each other nicknames or is it just Lewis who does it?" she asked.

The doctor stiffened. It seemed like he didn't really know how to answer her question, though there was nothing weird about it. He opened his mouth slightly but seemed at loss of words, preferring to look down at the floor and make a small sad smile, as if he was thinking about something painful. Celine looked at him worriedly. Did she ask something she shouldn't? Was there some kind of story behind the nickname "Sniffles" that he didn't really want to think about? Lewis didn't seem to mind his nickname, even though his could be considered insulting, as it was a clear reference to his clumsiness and possibly lack of intelligence…

"Well…" the doctor finally spoke, still looking at the ground though he had his head up again. "Almost everyone in town has a nickname but… only Lumpy actually uses them. He prefers to call us by them rather than our actual names. Probably it's easier for him to remember… But how we got those nicknames it's not that interesting of a story, you'll learn it eventually, but in the meantime, it would be better if I called him in so he can stop worrying about 'the mermaid'," he replied, saying the last sentence quickly as if he wants to forget what they were just talking about, adding a light chuckle that sounded a bit fake.

Celine watched him leave in a hurry, chocked at his sudden change in attitude. What was that all about?

**==CELINE'S POV==**

Well, that was weird. Why did he react like that? They're just nicknames…

Before I can put anymore thought into it, someone barges in. I can only see the person for a few seconds, since the door was pushed with such strength that it hits the wall and goes back to hit the person hard in the face.

"OW! Pain, pain…" Lewis yelps, holding his nose as he pushes the door away from him. A small sweatdrop emerges on the side of my face. _This guy is unreal… _

"Are… you okay?" I ask, raising an eyebrow as he eyes the door angrily as if it hit him on purpose.

He looks at me still rubbing his nose and nods. "Yeah…" he replies, letting go of the door and rushing towards me. "How about you? Is your arm all healed up?"

"It doesn't work so fast, Lewis. It will only heal in a couple of weeks." I reply, leaning on my pillow.

"Oh I'll help you!" Lewis says, moving to adjust the pillow.

I try to tell him that there's no need, but it's too late – in the hurry of adjusting my pillow, he ends up knocking down the vase with flowers that was on the nightstand next to my bed. It shatters into pieces as it hits the floor, making a loud noise and spreading water and petals everywhere. I close my eyes, looking away from the mess. This guy is like a walking landslide…

"Aw shit! I mean, uh – crap!" he corrects himself, looking at me quickly and then proceeding to collect the pieces of the broken vase.

I shake my head still with my eyes closed. Is it that easy to tell I don't like cussing?

The door opens again, but this time, it's Giggles who comes in. She immediately spots Lewis trying to fix the mess he made. Lewis looks at her with the same expression my brother uses when he gets caught doing something bad, while Giggles looks like my mother when she catches him, putting her hands on her hips with a stern look.

"Lumpy… That's the fifth vase this week. And it's only Tuesday," she says in a scolding tone. Judging from Lewis' expression, this is not an unfamiliar scene for him. She must scold him a lot of times, which is weird since she seems to be around my age and he looks like he's in his mid twenties. Then again, he _is_ called Lumpy…

"I'm sorry, Giggles, I really am! I didn't do it on purpose!" he apologizes, trying to collect the pieces again.

"Oh stop that," she orders, taking out a broom and a dustpan that were apparently right outside. She must have picked them up when she heard the noise, correctly assuming that Lewis had broken something.

She shoos him away and starts cleaning the floor, as Lewis stands next to me scratching his head, looking like a child who just did something bad and got scolded by his mother.

"The thing with you, Lumpy, is that you never do things on purpose, but you always – somehow – end up breaking something or hurting someone. I mean, just look at her," she rants, nodding on my direction.

As much as I agree that Lewis is like a magnet to disaster, it wasn't really his fault that I broke my arm. It's not like he could guess that a girl was swimming in a lake apparently used for fishing, and that she would get caught in his fishing net…

"Um, it wasn't really his fault you know…" I start, but Giggles starts shaking her head as if she knows what I'm going to say next.

"Yes, yes, he didn't have any way of knowing you were there, he tried to help you afterwards, blah, blah… I know all of that…" she sighs, finishing her cleaning and standing up straight again. She looks at Lewis as if she's sad about scolding him. "I know you don't mean to, Lumpy, but you _have_ to be more careful."

"I know, I know…" Lewis replies, still scratching his head while looking at the ground pouting. He really is like a kid trapped in a man's body…

"And next time, you'll do the cleaning," Giggles says, hitting Lewis on the side with the broom jokingly, trying to cheer him up.

"I WAS going to clean before you got in!" he says defensively, though he looks a little happier about her not being angry at him anymore.

"Oh right, as if _that_ would have ended well…" the nurse giggles softly and heads out with the trash, closing the door behind her.

I look at Lewis to see if he's still upset. When he looks back it's like the scolding never happened at all. He's back to his silly hasty self again.

"So! Sniffles told me you're feeling a lot better!"

"Oh… well, yeah. I guess…" I pause, wondering if I should ask Lewis about the nicknames. He seemed eager to tell me about the story behind his own, so why not give it a shot?

"Say, Lewis… about those nicknames you give to Dr. Oxwell and the nurse…"

"Sniffles and Giggles?"

"Yes, them. What's the deal with those nicknames? Dr. Oxwell told me that almost everyone in town has one but you're the only one who actually uses them… But he acted really strange, like he didn't want to think about it…"

I look at him, hoping he could explain it to me.

He didn't react to the question like Dr. Oxwell, but also seemed to be thinking about how to answer it. It must be hard for him to explain things properly anyway.

"Well, it's not that big of a deal. It's just the names we get when we arrive here. Russell and Petunia didn't get one because -"

"Wait, wait…" I interrupt, raising my hand to stop him from going on. "'When you arrive here'? Here where?"

Lewis looks at me like I asked a stupid question. "Well… _here_. Happy Tree Town."

"… That's the name of this town? Happy Tree Town?" I ask, surprised. What a strange name for a town…

"Well, that's the name we give to it. It's actually called… what was it again?" he pauses for a bit, trying to remember the name. After a while, he snaps his fingers. "Ah ha! West Limbo! That's the name!"

I shake my head quickly. _"West Limbo"_? That sound even weirder than "Happy Tree Town"! What kind of place is this?

"That's… a really weird name…" _What an understatement…_

"I know right? And it sounds too fancy. So when I got here, I changed it to Happy Tree Town. Sounds a lot better," he explains, crossing his arms and smiling proudly.

"_You_ changed the name of the town? Do you… are you like, some sort of high authority around here?" I ask, more shocked than I was before. How come he gets to change the name of the town? I only hope that he isn't like, _the mayor_ of this town, because if so, the inhabitants are doomed.

"Well I was the first one to get here. So I got to change it," he declares, looking at me as my mouth falls open. That doesn't make any sense! But it seems like it's flawless logic to him... He then looks at me confused. "I'm sorry, what were we talking about before this?"

"Oh… uh… right! The nicknames!" I reply, too overwhelmed to say a sentence properly.

"Ah, right! You see, whenever someone gets here, they get a nickname. The God gives us a nickname -"

"The _God_?" I interrupt again, unable to conceal my skepticism.

"Yes, the God," he confirms, as if he just confirmed the most obvious thing ever, like, that the sky is blue or that water doesn't have a smell. "The God gives us a nickname that is our name here. But no one else really goes for it asides from me. I'm the only who uses the nicknames and I'm the only whose… uh… whose… well, the only person they call by their nickname is me!" he concludes his explanation, though hesitating a little on how to form the last sentence.

"But who is this 'God'?" I ask, impatiently.

"He's um… huh… I don't know if it's a 'he' but um… the God is in that shrine over there, see?" He points to the window, where I can see a big shrine located up on a small hill, a little distanced from a big futuristic looking building that is separated from town.

I look back at Lewis with doubt and skepticism written all over my face. _God_? C'mon… I believe in God, but I don't believe they can see him and let alone that he gives them nicknames that sound so childish, like Lumpy and Giggles. This town must have their own little weird religion or something…

"I can show it to you one day!" Lewis says eagerly, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I look at him slightly surprised. It's almost like he's already seeing me as a friend, despite the circumstances we met in… I make a small smile.

"I… I'm sorry, Lewis, but I don't think that will happen. I'm not going to stay here long. As soon as my family is found, I'll be moving to another place."

"Oh…" He sounds extremely disappointed. I feel bad for him. I have to say that despite his stupidity and clumsiness, he's a really nice guy.

"Did your friend Russell find anything? Any clues as to where my family is?" I ask, trying to change the subject. I was curious about the whole nickname story but my family is more important. I actually feel guilty about letting my curiosity taking over…

Lewis looks up at me as if he had forgotten about that. "What? Oh, right! Russell looked all over the lake but he didn't find anything or anyone. He asked Flippy to look around the area but so far he didn't find anything either…" He spots my sadness and starts talking louder and more cheerfully. "B-but that doesn't mean they're not here! You'll see, they'll find them anytime now!"

I can hardly force myself to smile at this point. These last news made my heart sink again… They haven't found anything yet… not even a sign of where they are… What if neither Russell nor that person he asked to help him find anything? What if they _do_ find something, but that it proves they're dead?

The door opens again, but I don't bother looking up. I feel horrible. I feel sick. I don't want to think that my parents are dead… but that possibility is becoming more and more real as time goes by…

"Celine?"

I force myself to look up as I hear Dr. Oxwell calling my name. He looks serious now. Oh no… don't tell me they…

"I just got news from Phillip and Russell. They found nothing to prove anyone was anywhere near the lake."

I knew it… I cover my mouth as tears start forming in my eyes. Where ARE they?! What happened to them?

"No…" I start sobbing, covering my face with my hands. I'm feeling too many emotions right now… I can't take it… I'm panicking, I'm despairing, and I feel like I could collapse any minute…

"Oh no, don't cry!" I hear Lewis say, and I feel someone pat my back awkwardly. "Maybe someone else found something!" I can tell he's just trying to cheer me up. His voice doesn't sound confident of what he's saying at all.

"Please don't give her false hopes, Lumpy. They're not here," Dr. Oxwell says harshly.

I don't look up at him, but now I feel yet another emotion: anger. How can he say it with such a cold tone?! I'd like to see if it was _his_ family that had gone missing!

"You, Celine, however, _are_ here," Dr. Oxwell continues, and I hear him writing something on a paper.

"… So?" I ask with a weak shaky voice, trying to wipe my tears away. Lewis readily hands me a tissue, which looks a bit dirty. I look at it for a bit and then take it, thanking Lewis silently. I honestly don't care what Dr. Oxwell means at this point. I just want to find out where my family is.

"So… if you are here… then it means you're _dead_."

The room falls silent. Did… did he say _"dead"? _I look up at him, holding the dirty tissue in my hands.

"W… what?"

"When the car you were in crashed into the lake, you blacked out. Did you wish that you were in a place where someone who dies can be brought back?" the doctor asks coldly.

I open my mouth but no sound comes out. How does he know? What's going on here?!

He nods as if taking my look of surprise for a "yes".

"I see. You most likely died in that car crash and you were brought here because of your wish," he explains, seemingly unaware that what he's saying is impossible. If this is his idea of a joke, it's not funny at all!

"This…" I start, finally able to speak, though my voice keeps shaking. "This is NOT funny…"

"I'm not joking," Dr. Oxwell states, looking dead serious. "You are _dead_, Celine. Welcome to Happy Tree Town."


	3. New Home

**[NOTE: The canon characters of HTF are human and have human names in this FanFiction, while their canon names (Lumpy, Flippy, etc.) have another meaning :)]**

* * *

Celine didn't know how long they stayed there, awkwardly looking at each other in silence. The doctor standing in front of her had just given her the news that, apparently, she was _dead_. Dead, even though she was breathing. With this new revelation in mind, there were only three options: 1) the doctor's pulling a really not-funny joke on her; 2) he's insane; or 3) this is, like she had hoped from the beginning, just a really long nightmare she just can't seem to wake up from.

She looked at Lewis, hoping to see a sign of that being a really bad joke. Sadly, Lewis looked as serious as the doctor, though he also seemed concerned about her, while Dr. Oxwell showed no sign of sympathy yet. It was like that was a speech he was so used giving, it didn't matter to him anymore.

"So, Lumpy, can you please check what her Limbo Name is?" the doctor asked, still writing on his note book. Celine opened her mouth to say something but she was too overwhelmed to protest. Still, she had no idea what he meant with "Limbo Name".

Lewis nodded and swept Celine's hair away from her neck without any warning, apparently to look at her neck. Celine jumped and backed away from him, eyeing him with a startled expression.

"Eep! W-what are you doing?!" she stuttered, covering her neck with her good hand.

"Sorry if I scared you, but your name is on the back of your neck, so…"

Celine's eyes widened in shock. "Wha -? In the back of my…?"

She stopped talking, as if she had frozen in place, and then jumped out of the bed, with her back against the wall, looking at the two men in the room with a terrified expression. She had just thought of a terrifying option number 4: these guys were part of some messed up cult that marked people when they arrived to their town. It made much more sense than the idea of her really being dead. This "The God" figure Lewis mentioned was probably their leader!

"You… where are my parents? What have you done to them? What have you done to _me_?!" she asked with a shaking voice, rubbing the back of her neck to check if she had marks on it.

"I don't know where your parents are. But they're not here," the doctor replied, sighing heavily while writing, as if he was also awfully used to the kind of reaction Celine was having.

"LIAR! You're part of some cult, aren't you?!" Celine yelled, feeling the tears returning to her eyes. "Stay away!" she added, backing closer to the wall as Lewis stood up to walk towards her.

He stopped in his tracks, putting his hands up. "It's okay; we're not going to hurt you! I just want to see your -"

"Stop it, just -" Celine stopped yelling as she felt something on her neck. Her eyes widened. Weird sounds started coming out of her mouth as if she was trying to cough and sneeze at the same time – though it was actually just her trying not to start hyperventilating. She could feel some marks on her neck and by the way they were formed, they could form a word.

"There's… there's…" Her voice sounded as if she had something caught in her throat.

"A name there? I know," Lewis said, finishing her sentence. "I told you, The God gives us a nickname once we get here. Can… Can I see yours?"

Celine looked at him, slightly swaying back and forth like a mental patient. She didn't really feel like she could talk, or fight if they were intending on doing some kind of twisted sacrifice. It didn't help that Dr. Oxwell looked much more interested on whatever he was writing than on her – it's like she wasn't even worth his attention.

"Don't. Get. Near. Me," she hissed, breathing heavily between each word, still swaying while touching her markings and looking around. Maybe if she ran fast enough so could reach the door… "Please, let me go…"

"Go right ahead," the doctor said, taking a single step to the side without taking his eyes off his notebook. Celine stared at him surprised. He was going to let her go just like that? The doctor seemed to notice her surprise and talked again. "It's not like you can get out of Limbo anyway. But please, go ahead and try."

Well, it was now or never! She _had _to escape! Celine didn't wait for the doctor to change his mind and dashed towards the door. Lewis didn't even realize what was going on until Celine disappeared.

"What – hey, where are you going?!" he stammered, glancing back and forth between the door and Dr. Oxwell. "Where is she going? Why didn't you stop her?"

"She's off to look for her parents, I suppose. She has to see things for herself to believe," the doctor said, sighing. He ripped the page he had written on out of his notebook and handed it to Lewis. "Give this to her once you find her, please. You _can _do that, right?" he added, looking at Lewis sternly.

Lewis filled his chest with air, looking at the doctor with a deeply offended look. "YES, I can," he stated, snatching the page from the doctor's hand.

"Good. Explain her how this world works and try not to forget anything. Tell her about the rules, from the basics to the -"

"Alright, alright, I get it!" Lewis replied annoyed, stomping towards the door to try and find Celine.

Dr. Oxwell sighed as he watched Lewis leave. He then looked at the window, from which he could see the shrine Lewis had pointed out as being The God's home. Dr. Oxwell's eyes narrowed at the sight of it.

"Another toy for you, eh?"

**==CELINE'S POV==**

I have to hurry! I have to find them! They have to be around here somewhere! I KNOW they have them locked somewhere… whoever "they" are… And to think I actually trusted Lewis! He's one of _them_! I'm so angry at myself right now that I… I… ugh… I'm so weak I can't even think of something violent to do…

I stop as I exit the hospital. It was awfully easy to leave without anyone noticing… Ha! Dr. Oxwell probably didn't expect me to be able to escape, that's why he let me go! Though now that I'm out of the hospital, I honestly have no idea where to look next… I don't know if I can trust anyone in this town…

As I look around, desperate, I notice a man sitting on a bench. He's wearing a red and brown bathrobe, light brown pants, dark brown shoes and a red hat over his light auburn short hair. He's smoking a pipe while staring into the ground. The man looks really sad… I wonder… Is he a victim? Or not? He looks trustworthy, but then again, I trusted Lewis too… maybe Lewis doesn't really understand what's going on… I don't even know why I'm hoping that that's true…

"Um, excuse me!" I call, walking towards the sad looking man slowly.

He looks up at me with his tired amber eyes. He gets a look of surprise as he looks at me, though I can't blame him – I look exactly like I should: like a patient that just ran away from the hospital.

"Yes? Do you need help, dear?" he asks in a deep tired voice. He sounds like he didn't get enough sleep.

I evaluate him for a few seconds and decide to trust him. I have nothing to lose, really. "Please! Sir, the car I was in crashed into the lake and when I woke up, my family was gone! Now they're telling me that I'm dead and that -"

The man looks at me with an even sadder expression that makes me stop explaining what happened. That look… He's looking at me like he _understands_ what I've been through. Oh god… Did the same thing happen to him? And he's now being held against his will here? That would certainly explain why he looks so sad.

"Oh… I see…" he says, puffing on the pipe one last time and taking it out of his mouth to sigh. "What's your name?"

"Hm… Celine… Celine Evans…"

He nods. "I'm Paul Allen." He stands up and puts a hand on my shoulder, with a small sad smile. "Come with me, child. Don't worry, once you see, you'll understand."

He takes a few steps towards a narrow street and looks back at me with the same smile. _"Once I see, I'll understand"?_ What does that mean? Is… is he going to show me what the cult is all about? Well… like I said, I have nothing to lose…

I follow Mr. Allen for a few minutes in silence, until we reach a large open space. A graveyard. My eyes widen at the sight. Is… is this where they bury their victims? I look at Mr. Allen as he crouches down and caresses a gravestone gently. I approach him to read the name in it: "Cody Allen".

"This is my son's gravestone. He died yesterday," he informs, looking at me. I don't know what to say to that. No wonder he looks so sad…

"How… how old was he?"

"1 year old, and a few months."

So young… He was just a baby… "I'm so sorry for your loss… but how does this help me -"

"Oh it will. Because he'll be back." He stands up and steps away from the grave, as I give him a sympathetic look. I understand he's sad about his death, and I understand he wishes he would come back… Poor man…

He looks at me as if he knows what I'm thinking. Just then, something really odd happens…

The grave bursts open, making me jump and shriek. What?! What's going on?! There's a bright white light coming out of the open grave! How? My jaw drops with the shock and my eyes widen. A small coffin is coming out of the now open grave, floating as if something invisible is carrying it. The coffin lands softly on the ground right in front of Mr. Allen.

What… just what… I don't even know… I can't think straight! I don't know what's going on anymore! I'm so confused right now… This HAS to be a dream…

"You see, child, in this world… death isn't eternal. Everyone in here died… and were brought here because they wished they would have lived in a place where whenever someone died, they would come back… We died regretting our death and hoping we could come back," Mr. Allen explains, looking at the coffin and kneeling next to it. "In this world… that is a reality."

He opens the coffin, revealing the contents. I cover my mouth and step away, catching a glimpse of what's inside. Dear god… t-there's a mangled corpse of a baby inside… it's torn apart… there is blood and… and… wait… that light again! I was going to cover my eyes but the light that came out of the grave is coming from the coffin now!

"Papa!"

W… who said that?

The light slowly vanishes away, revealing the corpse is gone from the coffin… and in its place… there's a baby! A small one year old child wearing a red and yellow stripped beanie with a propeller on top, a red t-shirt and light brown overalls. He has light auburn hair and amber eyes, just like the sad looking man in front of him. But wait… Mr. Allen said his son died! And his corpse was inside the coffin! So… how… did… did his son really come back to life?

"Papa! Papa!" the little boy calls happily, stretching his arms up to his father with a big smile.

"Hey there, buddy…" The man picks up his son, now looking much happier than he was minutes ago. He holds his son in his arms and smiles at him, before he turns to me. "See? We all died in our world, but we were brought here to have a second chance. Even if we die in this world, we always come back the next day. Just like Cody here. And the same goes for you."

I look at the ground, tears on my eyes again. I don't think I can hold them back this time… so it's true. I died. And because I wished I lived in a place where no one died for real, I ended up here… Even if I die here again, I'll be back just like this little boy…

"There you are!"

I don't look back to see who called. I recognize it as being Lewis' voice. He appears next to me, looking at Mr. Allen and his son.

"Oh hey, Pop! I see Cub just came back," Lewis comments, tickling Cody with his index finger. The little boy giggles and tries to grab it.

"Yes, just now. Were you looking for her?" he asks. I assume he nodded at me or something. I can't tell. I'm still staring at the ground, about to cry.

"Oh yeah… Hey… are you okay?"

I shake my head and finally fall to my knees. The only reason for me to believe that this town was being controlled by some sort of weird cult was because I couldn't accept the idea of me being dead… I couldn't accept the idea of never seeing my family again… I still can't…

"Hey…" Lewis calls again, kneeling next to me. "It's okay…"

"It's NOT okay!" I cry, covering my face with my good hand. "I-I'm… I died?! How can I accept that?!"

"Well… I know it's hard, but… You're alive here! In this world, we're all alive again! So it's okay…" He pats my back awkwardly again.

I shake my head again. It's not okay… it's not okay… I won't see my family again… ever…

"Lumpy, why don't you bring her to my house? She can calm down there."

* * *

I sit quietly in a sofa, a tea cup in the small table in front of me. I don't feel like drinking tea though. I don't feel like doing anything… Lewis is sitting next to me, looking at me as if he's expecting me to break down and cry again. Since I arrived to Mr. Allen's house (whom Lewis called Pop) I cried for like, half an hour.

I look at the little boy in Mr. Allen's lap, who is now trying to reach some scissors that are on the table.

"No, Cody!" Mr. Allen scolds, putting the scissors away from his reach. "That's not a toy."

"Booo!" Cody complains, pouting. He then looks at me and smiles at me cheerfully. I wish I could smile like that, but I don't have any reason for it.

"Are you feeling better, Celine?"

I shake my head again. "No… Why did this happen to me…?"

"Not sure…" Mr. Allen replies, scratching his face as his son grabs a paper tissue and starts tearing it apart playfully. "We just die, and then we wake up in this world. All of us regretted dying and wished we could come back, so I suppose that is the main reason as to why we're here."

"But _who_ brings us here?" I ask angrily. Whoever it was, it's their fault I'm here!

"The God," Lewis replies quickly.

Mr. Allen sighs. "Well, whatever he is, The God brings us here and gives us names. He created this world and we're free to do whatever we want."

"So… he takes like… our souls? And puts them in another world?" I ask, confused. As confused as I am, right now I'm ready to believe anything… After seeing Cody come back to life, anything seems possible…

"That seems to be so. He only takes the souls of people who died, so there's a chance that your parents are still alive," Mr. Allen says, smiling.

I make a small smile. That's the only positive thing I can think of to prevent myself from falling into a depressed state. If they're alive at least, I can handle whatever happens… Well, come to think of it, I'm alive too apparently… Dead in my world, but alive in this one… It's so confusing… But I don't have a choice, do I? Whatever I do, this is my home now…

"So what is this world or… whatever?"

"I assume The God created it especially for us."

"Yeah, he did. It's called the Limbo," Lewis adds, taking out a piece of paper from his pocket. "Sniffles told me to explain everything to you, so… can I? Are you feeling up for it?"

I look at Lewis who's still looking concerned. At least, these people are genuinely trying to help me… I might as well learn more about this world, if I'm going to stay here… "Go ahead…" I reply, shrugging.

Lewis clears his throat as if he's about to do a speech. He must have memorized what he had to say.

"Okay, so here it goes: The God lives in the shrine up in the hill I showed you. You can't go up there 'cause if you do he'll get really angry and kill you."

I look at him with my eyes widened. This is not starting very well... What kind of "God" is this?!

"He created this dimension, and named it The Limbo. He divided it into two sides, West Limbo – here – and East Limbo. You can't go in East Limbo," Lewis carries on, counting with his fingers the number of things he tells me, maybe to make sure he doesn't forget anything.

"Why?"

"The people living in East Limbo are bad, Celine," Mr. Allen says to answer my question. "I think The God made it so good people live here, in West Limbo, while the bad ones live in East Limbo. It's a horrible place."

I nod, squirming uncomfortably in the couch. So there are bad people in this world too? I was hoping only good people would be brought here…

"I think Pop already told you, but every time you die in this world, you come back the next day. All we have to do is make a grave with your name and you'll reappear there completely healthy the day after you die."

I gulp. The idea of having a grave with my name on it doesn't really appeal to me.

"More… oh, you have to be careful with ducks and vultures!"

"… Ducks?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Yep. There are some ducks here that eat people…"

I squeak. They eat _people_…? Dear god what kind of world did I end up in? It's like something out of a twisted child's imagination!

"The vultures also eat people…" Lewis adds, ignoring my whimpering. "Asides from those two, you have to be careful around Whistles."

Mr. Allen grunts something and seems upset. "Damned dog…"

"Hm… Whistles? What is that?" I ask, looking at Mr. Allen.

Lewis opens his mouth but Mr. Allen cuts him off. "Whistles is another of The God's _lovely_ creations. As if making Man-Eating Ducks and Wretched Vultures that eat living people wasn't enough, he also created a puppy that snaps into a psychotic state whenever it hears anything resembling whistling."

I whimper again, looking at the ground with furrowed brows. Fantastic. Just… fantastic. This "God" really _is_ like a twisted child! What kind of "God" creates these things?!

"Well, yeah…" Lewis looks at Mr. Allen as if he's angry about being interrupted. "Well, I think I covered everything. Oh, I almost forgot! You ought to be careful with the Leiki."

"What are the Leiki?" I ask, not sure if I want to know. I mean, what's next? Flesh-eating ponies?

"Lewinski," Mr. Allen corrects. "The Lewinski are inhabitants of West Limbo. Well, more exactly, they live in the border between West Limbo and East Limbo," Mr. Allen explains, much to Lewis' growing annoyance. He really hates being interrupted…

"YES. As _I_ was saying…" he growls, looking briefly at Mr. Allen, who takes the hint and shrugs, smiling instead at his son who immediately starts playing peek-a-boo with him by hiding his face behind the shredded paper tissue. "… the Leiki..."

"Lewinski."

"That. They are twins. They are thieves that steal whatever they think is valuable. Or just to annoy people." Lewis huffs, looking angry. I think it's safe to assume he has been their victim before.

"But, if they're bad shouldn't they be in East Limbo?"

"I thought so too, but they live in the border… I guess that means they're half bad and half good or… something…" Lewis replies, looking as if he doesn't really believe they can be good.

Well, I like to think that everyone has a little good in them. Maybe the Lewinski do to… I can't really judge them without meeting them first…

"So how do I recognize them?"

"Oh you can't miss them. They usually wear light olive trench coats and dark green masks. One of them has a fedora too."

I nod, convinced with his description. "Anything else?"

Lewis counts his fingers while whispering to himself. "Hm… oh! The only thing left is to see your Limbo Name. Once we get here, we receive a nickname that The God gives us."

"But you're the only one who uses them, right?"

"Yeah, it's a lot easier to remember. I'm not that good with names…"

"I've noticed," I comment, looking at Mr. Allen who grins.

Lewis notices my look. "Hey! Those demonic twins have a complicated last name, it's not my fault!"

"So what's my name then?"

"Hm… Uh… Aileen?"

I facepalm as Mr. Allen chuckles lightly. "It's Celine," I correct, half annoyed half amused.

"Darn! Well, I'll just call you by your Limbo Name if you don't mind…"

I reach the back of my neck to feel the markings again. They're still there…

"Okay…" I turn to him, pushing my hair away from my neck so he can see what's written there. I just hope it isn't a stupid name…

I feel Lewis' breath on my neck as he approaches me and blush automatically. Darn it! Why do I have to get embarrassed with so little? I squirm again uncomfortably. Thank god Lewis can't see it and Mr. Allen's busy playing with his son…

"Hey no fair, you get a pretty name!" Lewis complains.

"What? What is it?" I ask, looking back at him.

"Your Limbo Name is Angel," he replies, writing something on the paper he took out earlier. Once he finishes, he hands it to me. "Here you go."

I look at the paper. It has an empty space in the upper right corner, apparently for me to put my photo on.

_"HAPPY TREE TOWN CITIZEN_

_Name: Celine Evans_

_Limbo Name: Angel _(written with a messy handwriting, clearly different from the rest, which means that it was what Lewis just wrote)

_Gender: Female_

_Date of Arrival: 06t__h__ July, XXXX_

_Note: Citizen is prone to panic attacks and delusions whenever confronted with something she does not believe or like. Seems to be rather emotionally and physically fragile."_

My eyes widen and I open my mouth angrily. "Panic attacks"? "Delusions"? _"Emotionally and physically fragile"_?! Who wrote this?! Oh, it must have been that doctor – what was it... – Dr. Oxwell! That bastard! How dare he?

"Is everything okay?" Lewis asks, looking at me confused. "Did I misspell your Limbo Name?"

"No you didn't Lewis," I reply angrily, squeezing the paper in my hand and looking away from it.

"Well, now that you're calm and everything's settled…" Mr. Allen starts, standing up with Cody on his arms. "It would be better if you went ahead to get your house. As much as I wouldn't mind taking you in, I'm sure you'd prefer to have your own home."

"Oh, right… Thank you so much for the tea, Mr. Allen…" I say, looking at the tea I didn't drink feeling a bit guilty.

He waves his hand dismissively, noticing my guilty look. "Oh don't worry, child. There will be more opportunities for me to show off my amazing tea-making abilities."

I chuckle lightly as I stand up. Lewis walks towards the door and opens it for me. "Well, we're off then. Bye, Pop. Bye, Cub," he says, waving his hand goodbye as I do the same, walking out.

Cody giggles and waves goodbye at us. "Ba-bye!"

Once outside, Lewis closes the door and takes a deep breath. "Well, maybe we should get you some clothes first."

I look down and nod. I can't walk around in this plain white patient dress… I start covering myself the best I can with my healthy arm. Now that he pointed it out, I'm embarrassed… again...

"I'm sure Petunia won't mind lending you some… After that, we'll go get you a house."

"Okay… So, are there any vacant houses around here?"

"I don't think so, but Handy won't mind making you one. Well, let's go!" he says, smiling at me cheerfully.

I smile back and follow him. I guess I have to accept it now. I have to start my life here. This is my home now… If everyone else is as nice as Lewis and Mr. Allen, I guess things won't be too bad…

**==END OF CELINE'S POV==**

At the top of the hill, the shrine stands tall and imposing. A beautiful structure, seen only by a handful.

Inside, candles are lit around a small golden statue. There is someone there… a woman… Her long white hair falls down past her waist and is so long it almost reaches the door as it spreads across the floor. There are countless beads ornamenting it. She prays softly to the statue, wearing a plain white dress that covers her feet.

Suddenly, her eyes snap open. Bright pink irises look up at the small statue lying on a pillow. The small golden statue has the appearance of a weird bald creature sitting down, holding its knees with an eerie grin. The woman looks at it in shock and then stands up, rushing towards the door. She closes her eyes, and in her mind, a bright light appears… blurry images… Another vision… a girl… who is that girl?

The image gets clear, and she sees a blonde girl, looking out the window of a car. The girl sighs. The driver loses control and the car falls on the lake… Then, a man with a horned cap finds her... the girl is here…

The woman opens her eyes, horrified. That girl she saw is here… in the Limbo… She looks back at the statue, and it's as if the grin it carries got wider.

"My lord… what have you done…?"


	4. Meeting the Crew

******[NOTE: The canon characters of HTF are human and have human names in this FanFiction, while their canon names (Lumpy, Flippy, etc.) have another meaning :)]**

* * *

**==CELINE'S POV==**

The bright sunlight was blocked by some clouds. The birds are chirping happily, flying from one tree to another. It's hard to believe this place is another dimension dead people are brought to.

There are houses, cars, bicycles, gardens, trees, animals… everything looks exactly as in the real world. I look all around, trying to spot anything remotely out of the ordinary, but there is nothing. Asides from seeing little Cody Allen come back to life, there is nothing else weird going on. Nothing in the scenery could possibly show that I am in this "West Limbo" Lewis and Mr. Allen talked about. A special dimension created by some sort of entity, especially for people who died and wished for a world where people would come back to life anytime after their death… It sounds like the plot of a fantasy story…

I am still sinking in the fact that I am dead and will never see my family again. After a lot of denying, running and crying, I think I'm ready to accept reality: to my family and the world I came from, I'm dead; but in this world, I'm alive. Eternally alive, since I'll come back no matter how many times I die. My heart still feels heavy with sorrow and a part of me still wants to curl up and cry all day, but I have to be strong. I _want_ to be strong! I don't want to be the weak-willed crybaby everyone has to comfort. I don't want to prove Dr. Oxwell was right when he wrote me out to be an "emotionally and physically fragile" person. Humph. Plus, Lewis and Mr. Allen were so supportive of me, I have to put myself together and move on.

Right now, I'm walking next to Lewis to meet someone named Petunia, hoping she can get me some clothes. Maybe she can lend some of her clothes before I have money to buy my own. I don't want to ask Lewis for money… I'm sure he wouldn't mind but I don't want to rely too much on him.

He has been talking nonstop about Happy Tree Town for a while now… It's amazing how he knows the name of every single street and the address of every single inhabitant of town but still struggles to remember their real names. He instead calls them by their Limbo Names, which are much easier to remember for him.

"… and that's Snappy's house, and right next to her lives Happy."

"Happy, uh? So he or she is always cheerful?" I ask. I assume these Limbo Names are always allusions to some sort of aspect of one's personality or activities.

"Not really, no. He's a pretty grumpy guy…" Lewis replies, shrugging.

I suppose this was more of an ironic Limbo Name. I don't trust The God's sense of humor… I mean, it created Man-Eating Ducks and Vultures that eat people that are still alive…

"And over there, that's where I live! In that trailer up in the hill." Lewis points up to a small hill where a trailer can be seen, next to a farm and a big house.

"How come you live in a trailer, Lewis? Can't this Handy person build a house for you? I thought you said he built everyone's house." How this Handy can build like a hundred houses for himself I do not know.

"Ah I feel a lot better in a trailer," Lewis states, smiling at the sight of the trailer.

I eye him with suspicion. How can one feel better living in a trailer than in an actual house?

He notices my look and adds quickly: "No really! I grew up in one of those, makes me much more comfortable than a house."

I decide not to comment the fact he grew up in a trailer when he was alive. I can see it happening, but it kind of saddens me. He must have been poor back then. "And what about that farm? Does it belong to your neighbor?"

"Ah no, that's mine!" he says, smiling again with pride. "My family owned a farm so I had to get one too. Life in the countryside is much easier than life in the city…"

"Hm… I don't really know much about life at the country… I've always lived in the city, but it must be fun to be surrounded by animals," I comment, looking at Lewis' farm. I might have said it, but I honestly don't think I could ever live in a farm. I'm way too used to the comforts of the city…

"It is! Even Flippy, who knows nothing about farms, has fun helping me out."

"Flippy? Didn't you mention him before…?" I think for a moment. I'm pretty sure Lewis mentioned someone named Flippy back when I was still at the hospital… "Oh, he's the person you said was helping Russell look for my family!"

"Yeah, he's my neighbor," Lewis confirms, gesturing to the house close to his farm. "A really nice guy, you'll see. Hm… what were we doing again?"

I look at Lewis, who looks confused. Apparently talking about other things got him to forget what we were doing. "You said we should get me some clothes before your friend Handy could make me a house," I remind him. "You mentioned someone named Petunia…"

Lewis snaps his fingers, reminded of our "quest". "Oh yeah! I better call to see if she's home…"

Lewis reaches for his phone and searches for Petunia's number. He is holding his phone with one hand and clicking on the down button with his other hand's index finger as he bites his tongue slightly in a deeply concentrated face. I try to hide a light chuckle. This is like, the exact same expression my grandpa had when he first tried to make a call on a cell phone!

Eventually Lewis finds Petunia's number and calls her.

"… Hey Petunia! It's Lumpy. Listen, are you home?"

I stand there watching. It feels kind of awkward when someone's making a phone call and you're just… there. I can't hear Petunia clearly, so I have no idea what she sounds like or what she is saying.

"… Oh, you are? Great, because we have an emergency! … What do you mean 'what kind of emergency'? How many kinds of emergencies are there? … I've never heard of that… I don't know, does a 'fashion emergency' involve a broken arm?"

I roll my eyes. Oh dear. I can feel it. Dear lord, I can feel it. This Petunia is going to be one of those fashion victims, girly-girls, isn't she? From my personal experience, those girls usually aren't very pleasant. They are either far too into themselves to be nice to anyone else or they are bullies who think they can get away with whatever they do…

"… No, it's not me. There's a new girl in town, she's the one with the… … Why does everyone assume it was my fault?! … Okay, so maybe it was…" Lewis huffs annoyed. The conversation is definitely not going the way he wants it to. "ANYWAY, can you help? She has nothing to wear, so can… oh you will? Great! … Yeah, we're on our way there right now… K', see ya. Bye."

Lewis hangs up the phone and looks at me with a smile. "Okay, so Petunia agreed to help you out and give you some of her clothes. She said she just went through her closet and some of her clothes are too big on her, so they might fit you."

"Okay. Hm… Lewis… Would you prefer if I called you Lumpy?" I ask. I am getting used to call him by his real name, but it sounds like everyone else uses his Limbo Name.

"Oh it doesn't really matter. If you prefer to call me by my actual name that's fine."

"Okay. Hm… another thing. Is Petunia nice?"

Lewis looks at me confused. "Yeah, why do you ask?"

"Oh, nothing… Just wondering…" Liar.

I follow Lewis to Petunia's house. I don't want to seem prejudiced, but usually girls who care too much about their appearance and fashion tend to be shallow and mean… at least, that's what I thought.

We eventually get to Petunia's house. It's very pleasant looking. The garden is beautiful, and everything looks neat and clean. I smile just by looking at it.

"Wow! What a nice place." My mother used to say you could judge someone by looking at their house – if that is the case, Petunia must be the nicest person ever. Still, I'll be cautious…

Lewis rings the doorbell, which makes a standard ding-dong noise. Some seconds later, the door opens. As soon as the door opens, a fresh smell of vanilla and flowers surrounds me and Lewis.

The person in front of us is a tad taller than me and very skinny. She is wearing a dark blue dress that tied in the back of her neck, a lavender tank top underneath with its straps sliding down her shoulders, white leggings and silver high heeled sandals. She has many silver and blue bracelets on her wrists and a necklace with a silver circle and what seemed like a pine tree air freshener in the circle. Her long, wavy, indigo hair has some light blue streaks, and is tied in a side ponytail with a flower shaped ribbon. It reaches her waist easily. Her eyes are lavender and her eyelashes are thick.

"Hello," she greets in a pleasant voice. She then noticed me and gasps. "Oh dear! What are you wearing?"

I look down with a raised eyebrow. Does she think this are my regular clothing? "Hm… I was at the hospital and…"

Before I could finish my sentence, Petunia grabs me by my healthy arm and pulls me inside the house. I barely have time to squeak. I only hear Petunia yell out: "Clean your shoes before coming in!" to Lewis.

Petunia drags me to a room, barely allowing me to look though her house, which is incredibly neat and organized. Maybe Petunia's a neat freak… like my mom… Once inside the room, I am finally released from Petunia's grasp as she walks towards a large dresser. Free to sit on her bed, I look around the room, noticing a couple of photos covering a small mirror that is on a wall. Most of those photos feature Petunia and another girl, who on closer inspection turns out to be the nurse whom Lewis called Giggles earlier. They seem to be close.

"That's Giggles, right?" I ask.

Petunia was about to open the dresser but looks back at me. She then notices where I am pointing at and smiles. "Yes, that's Giggles. You did say you were at the hospital, so it's no surprise you've met her."

"So what is her real name? Lewis calls her by her Limbo Name I suppose…"

"Yeah he does. Her real name is Jillian Monroe. So what's your name?" she asks, turning around to smile at me.

I smile back. Petunia seems like a nice person. So maybe my idea of girly-girls who care a lot about fashion being mean is wrong... In my defense, if you had met the girls I did in high school you would have the same idea. I kind of feel bad for having such a prejudiced opinion about her without even knowing her… I usually want to think there is good in everyone, but well, I guess meeting someone who reminds me of people who bullied me in the past makes it hard not to be biased…

"My name's Celine Evans. My Limbo Name is Angel though."

"Angel, uh? Well, only Lumpy will call you that, so, nice to meet you Celine." Petunia stretches her arm for me to shake her hand, smiling brightly.

I shake her hand. "Nice to meet you too. What about your Limbo Name? Is it Petunia?"

Petunia opens her mouth but closes it almost immediately after. She blinks and looks down with a small sad smile. "Actually I don't have a Limbo Name. My name is Petunia Rivers, but… I wasn't given any other name when I got here."

I look at her confused. I thought everyone got a Limbo Name once they arrived to Limbo… Then again, Lewis did mention something before… when he was explaining me about the Limbo Names at the hospital, he said something about Petunia and Russell not having any… but I kind of interrupted him before he could say why. Darn it.

"Well now! You're here because you need some clothes, right?" Petunia says happily as she turns to open the dresser.

I wanted to ask why Petunia doesn't have a Limbo Name, but it seems like she changed the subject on purpose.

Once Petunia opens the dresser, my jaw drops.

It's like another division is inside that dresser. There are clothes, purses, accessories and shoes everywhere! Shelves and shelves, and boxes of shoes, all over the place. No wonder she has no problems with giving away clothes – she has like hundreds of them.

"Now, where is – ah!" Petunia spots about four bags lying nearby and turns to Celine happily, looking at me up and down. "Yeah, they should fit. I have to browse through my clothes like, every month, to check if they still fit me or if something has lost its 'F' factor, and I swear, every time I find pieces of clothing I had no idea I had!"

She laughs lightly, tapping me on the shoulder. I'm sorry to say, but I don't know that feeling, Petunia. I don't have that many clothes, and I was never that adept of shopping… Honestly, I never met anyone who had enough clothes to fill a dresser _that_ size!

"Uh-huh… 'F' factor?"

"F for Fabulous!" Petunia explains, laughing lightly again. She has a contagious laugh, so I can't help but chuckle lightly along with her.

There is a light tap on the door, and then Lewis steps in, covering his eyes.

"Can I come in? Is it safe?"

Ah, bless him. Covering his eyes in case I was getting changed… Most guys I met wouldn't be that chivalrous.

Petunia shakes her head with an amused smile. "Yes, Lumpy. No naked girls here. Your virgin eyes are safe."

Lewis removes the hand from his eyes. "I thought you'd be trying on clothes, so that's why… WOW! That's one ginormous dresser!"

Lewis peeks in the dresser, removing his horned cap so his head can go through. It seems like he has been on Petunia's house before, but never in her bedroom. "There's like a thousand – wait…" He turns around to face Petunia. "What do you mean 'virgin eyes'?!"

Petunia laughs. "Wow took you long enough! Anyway, does Celine have a place to stay yet?"

"No, Lewis wanted me to get some clothes before we met Handy…" I explain.

Petunia nods. "Okay then, why don't I choose you an outfit out of the clothes in these bags, and when everything's settled Lumpy comes here to pick up the rest of the clothes? He'll be with you right?"

I nod, looking at Lewis. He grunts something inaudible and crosses his arms. I think he's annoyed by what Petunia said…

"Oh don't look at me like that, Lumpy. You know I love you," Petunia says, flicking his forehead playfully, noticing his annoyance as well.

Lewis grunts something under his breath again and turns to leave the room.

Petunia shrugs. "This guy…" She sighs. "He's just too fun to tease."

I smile lightly. Lewis seems to be a well-liked person in town, and I can see why. Even though he is truly a magnet to disaster, it's just impossible to resent him or hate him. He's so easy to be around.

"Now, time to work my magic!" Petunia declares, taking the four bags of clothes and emptying them over the bed carefully, so that the clothes won't get unfolded or wrinkled.

I watch as she separates the clothes and whispers to herself. A small sweatdrop emerges on the side of my head. All of the clothes look really fashionable and flashy… Personally I would prefer something more basic that will help me blend in, but I have a looming feeling Petunia won't let that happen…

* * *

"Bye Celine darling! Don't forget to come with Lumpy pick up the rest of your clothes!"

I look back and wave goodbye at Petunia with an awkward smile. I can't say I feel comfortable in this…

I'm walking out of her house with a baby blue baby-doll short dress, white shorts that almost reach my knees and blue flat shoes. Petunia also insisted on giving me a new hairstyle, combing my fringe to the right and making my curls more defined, adding a baby blue ribbon to match the dress. I can't say I dislike it, but I'm not used to look this… stylish, at lack of a better word…

Lewis is waiting in the garden, tapping his feet on the ground impatiently. Once I step out, he looks up and smiles. "Oh there you are! Were you trying on all of the clothes or what?"

"Lumpy, she couldn't just walk out on anything, could she? I had to make sure she looks dashing," Petunia reasons, standing at the entrance of her house. "Now remember, Celine dear, you have to find clothes that match! You don't want an outfit that's all one color, that's boring."

I nod quickly to avoid anymore fashion tips. I'm pretty sure I already forgot half the stuff she told me.

"Okay then, if that um, 'fashion disaster' is solved, let's go and find Handy!" Lewis declares. "Thanks, Petunia, see ya later!"

Petunia waves goodbye as Lewis and I walk away. Lewis looks at me closely, which makes me uncomfortable.

"W-what?" I stutter.

"You look cute with that ribbon on," he replies, chuckles. "It brings out your eyes."

To disguise my embarrassment at that compliment, I dismiss it entirely. "A-ah! Has Petunia been sharing her 'fashion wisdom' with you?"

Lewis chuckles again. "Well she tried. Can't say I bother with it. I just wear whatever I like. I mean, it shows…" He tugs his damaged denim vest.

"Haha, it's not that bad… It suits you. So where would Handy be?" I ask, looking around as Lewis stopped next to a building that looks like it's currently on construction.

"Right here. Must be inside taking care of something… Hey Handy!" he calls.

There's no answer. After a few seconds, someone leans out the window to look down at us. I can't see his face clearly, but he's wearing a construction hard hat and a white and dark brown tank top. But that's not what's bugging me… I can't see his hands… His arms are covered in bandages, but they seem unusually short… Once he steps closer, the sunlight illuminates him, and I gasp, covering my mouth with my hand.

He has _no hands_! In fact, his arms are cut off on the elbows! What happened to him?! Did he get into some sort of accident on the job and lost his arms?

"Hey Lumpy," Handy greets in a bored rough voice. "What's up?"

"We have a new girl in town! She needs a house, so I figured…"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. I'll be down in a sec…"

Handy disappears again. I look at Lewis with my mouth wide open in jaw and my eyes widened.

Lewis blinks. "What is it?"

"W… what is it? _What is it?_ Is that Handy? How do you expect him to build a house? Actually, how do you expect him to build _anything_?! He has no hands!"

Lewis looks at me with a puzzled look. "I know. He never did," he replies, shrugging as if that's no big deal.

"He… never did? What do you mean?" I ask, confused.

"Well… when he got here to Happy Tree Town he already didn't have hands… he was pretty upset about it back then. I assumed that when he died he already didn't have hands…"

"But… but… but you said he built everyone's houses! How can he work without hands?"

"The same way Lumpy can function without a brain…"

I jump slightly, startled at the voice. Handy is in front of us looking bored. He isn't nearly as tall as Lewis – he is roughly as tall as me. He is a bit more muscular than him though. He has short spiky orange hair and brown eyes. Asides from his tank top and hard hat, he is wearing dark jeans and worker boots. There is a belt around his waist with all sorts of construction utensils, and there is a large tattoo of a black serpent-like dragon on his right arm… what's left of it anyway. He seems to be around Lewis' age.

"So…" Handy grunts with a harsh tone. "Did Tuney kidnap you or something? You look like you were dressed up by her…"

"Um... Who?"

"Petunia."

"Oh…" I stutter, adjusting my dress for no reason. I actually have no idea what to say. I was never good on interacting with someone with a disability… I was always afraid I'd say something insensitive, and tried not to look at them with a sympathetic look… "Um, she has some clothes she was going to get rid of, so she gave them to me instead…"

"Yeah, great. So you need a house, right?" he cuts me off rudely, looking at me with the most disinterested look I've ever seen. That really doesn't help, because it's making me even more uncomfortable.

"W-well, Lewis said you could -"

"Sure he did. It'll be ready in two days."

I look up at him before I can control myself. "Two days? R-really?"

"Does it look like I'm kidding?"

"N… no… I just thought… Since you don't have -" Eeep! Shut up, Celine!

"Yeah, I don't have hands, how can I build a house, I know all of that shit. Don't fucking question me. If you bother me too much, it will take a week instead."

I open my mouth in shock. How rude! And here I thought the people in this town were all friendly! Well… there was Dr. Oxwell…

"Hey no need to be like that, Handy…" Lewis says, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"So what's the girly's story?" Handy asks, ignoring Lewis' words completely.

'_Girly'?! _

"Did you run her over or something? Oh wait. You were supposed to go fishing with Russell today, right? Did you catch her on your net?"

Lewis shifts his feet awkwardly and scratches his head, not sure of what to say. Handy guessed it. That's exactly what happened…

Handy smirks. "Pft. No way, is that really what happened? You're hopeless, man… Anyway, if that's all, I have a house to restore." He turns towards the house, looking up at the many holes on its walls. "Next time, that fucking vigilante better come help."

"Splendid said he was sorry," Lewis reminded.

What kind of a name is Splendid?...

"Last time I checked, 'sorry' doesn't help rebuild a house. If it did, I wouldn't have to clean up after Splendid's and Phillip's mess… Or yours," he states, nodding at Lewis.

"Hey I don't give you that much trouble!"

"Oh of course you don't, silly me," he grunts in a sarcastic manner. "5 roads, about 17 lamp posts, 4 mail boxes, 27 houses, and I've lost count of the furniture you've wrecked. And don't even get me started on your car…"

"Did you really destroy all of that?" I ask Lewis, who is pouting as he looks at Handy.

"Well I didn't count… but it was… more or less that…" he replies, scratching his head in embarrassment.

"Like I said, you're hopeless," Handy concludes.

"Hm…" I clean my throat lightly to call Handy's attention. He stares at me. There is that disinterested look again… "Thank you for taking your time to build my house… hm… may I have your name, or is it really Handy…?"

I regretted saying those words as soon as they came out of my mouth.

A large vein mark emerges on the side of Handy's head. "Oh yeah, because it would be fucking hilarious if my name was Handy, right?!"

"T-that's not what I meant!" I reply quickly, stepping away from him. He's scary when he's angry…

"That's not what she meant," Lewis repeats in a more serene tone, tapping Handy's shoulder again.

Handy huffs annoyed and shrugs Lewis' hand away. "My name is NOT Handy. It's Andrew Levine, but that asshat, that motherfucker cock-sucker of a God or whatever bullshit he calls himself thought it would be funny to give me the Limbo Name Handy. Because well, I DON'T HAVE FUCKING HANDS!" he rants angrily, waving his arm stumps frenetically as he yells.

I try to ignore all the cuss words he said and try to look as calm as ever. It's not easy, especially seeing as how he gets angry so easily…

"Ok, Andrew… Nice to um, meet you… I'm Celine Evans. Please don't rush yourself with that house… Take your time…" I say, trying to sound calm hoping he'll calm down too.

He huffs angrily a couple of times before he finally calms down. "… Two days… that will be enough…" he says, breathing heavily as he glares at the shrine where The God supposedly lives. "… and you're welcome…" he finally says, though it looks as if it was almost painful for him to say it.

I am curious as to how he actually lost his arms but I don't want to push his patience. He might actually hit me if I bother him too much… Instead, I look at the shrine too. Is there really some sort of entity living there? Is this God really there?

Then, I see someone at the entrance of the shrine. A woman? It looks like a woman with long white hair… I squint to try and see her better but she disappears.

"Are you calm now, Handy?" I hear Lewis ask.

"You know, I would appreciate if you called me by my name, but I guess it's asking too much of your jello brain to remember a common name such as Andrew…"

"And I guess it's asking too much of your foul mouth to not be so rude?"

"Oh-ho, what is this I'm witnessing? Is Lumpy actually being sarcastic? Are you finally following my noble example?"

"I don't see what's 'noble' about calling someone who brought you back to life a gazillion times an 'asshat' and all those other things you said…"

"Don't even get me started on that -"

"Hey guys," I call, interrupting their argument. They look at me as if they had forgotten I was there. "How does The God look like?"

Andrew growls at the mere mention of The God but Lewis cuts him off. "The God is like, a small golden statue… It looks like a bald… thing, holding its knees and making a weird face."

"Does anyone else live in that shrine?" I ask. If that's The God's appearance, then who was that woman?

"I don't think so… I never saw anyone there…" Lewis replies, looking as if he's trying to remember if he had ever seen anyone there.

"Phillip once told me he heard some weird chants around that area though," Andrew says suddenly.

"Phillip?" I ask. Andrew mentioned him before…

"Who's Phillip?" Lewis asks confused.

"Your neighbor, genius," Andrew grunts.

"Oh, so that's his name!"

"You mean Flippy? His real name is Phillip?"

"Yes. Anyway, he goes around that area often and he told me once that he heard a woman singing some weird chants or some shit like that. He couldn't understand a word she was saying and when he tried to get a closer look, the chants stopped and he didn't find anyone there," Andrew explains.

I look up at the shrine, curious. Who is that woman? Is she one of the inhabitants, or is she someone closer to The God? Like a priestess?

"I never saw any woman up there…" Lewis comments.

"Maybe because you die every time you try and go there?" Andrew retorts.

"Wait, you told me you would show the shrine to me, but you also said that if I tried to go there The God would kill me!" I remember suddenly.

"If you go there alone, he'll kill you. But if you go there with someone just to take a look he won't do anything."

"Then what about this Phillip? Didn't you say he goes around that area often?"

Andrew and Lewis share weird looks. It's like Lewis wants to tell me something but Andrew lightly shakes his head no.

"Well… Phillip is a special case. He's never alone," Andrew replies mysteriously.

"… What is that supposed to mean?"

"Didn't I tell you not to question me?!"

I shut up immediately, before he decides to take a whole month to make my house. I guess that would be an acceptable amount of time to build a house, but since he offered two days, I'd be happier with that.

But they're hiding something from me. I know it. They seem to actually not know anything about the woman in the shrine, but there's something about this Phillip they're not saying. What is it? Is he also related to The God someway? How many mysteries are there in this place…?


End file.
